IT Technology Unifies Images, Data, and Reporting Workflows Throughout Hospital Enterprise
|
By HospiMedica International staff writers Posted on 31 Jul 2014 |
A new integrated information technology (IT) system will unify images, data, and reporting workflows across all imaging departments in a hospital. The technology will allow hospitals to expand towards the latest, advanced imaging technology platform.
Az Groeninge Hospital (Kortrijk, Belgium) has chosen to replace its existing third-party picture archiving and communication system (PACS) with a comprehensive Impax radiology information system (RIS)/PACS/reporting solution. Agfa HealthCare (Mortsel, Belgium) will provide all hardware (excluding the storage) and will manage both hardware and software, under an Agfa HealthCare system management agreement.
Az Groeninge is a large regional hospital and is affiliated with the KU Leuven Hospital network. It is the result of a merger of four hospitals in Kortrijk. With over 1,000 beds, it is one of the largest hospitals in Belgium. Annually, it admits some 35,000 inpatients and some 47,500 outpatients. Az Groeninge is the first nonuniversity hospital in the Benelux to obtain the high level international Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation for patient safety and quality of healthcare (2013). It is also focused on always maintaining the latest and most innovative technology.
The hospital chose to implement the Impax RIS/PACS/reporting solution. The Az Groeninge/Agfa HealthCare agreement includes: Impax RIS/PACS workflow system for data management and reporting. It will be implemented for all imaging departments, in a hospital-wide solution. The existing Impax RIS will also be upgraded to the latest version. Clinical applications include: tight integration with Impax provides point-of-care access to clinical applications such as Fusion and 3D (three-dimensions), supporting, e.g., the positron emission tomography (PET) imaging department with the most advanced technology.
The ICIS (imaging clinical information system) View enables enhanced viewing, sharing, and integration across platforms, with all images from all sources accessible on a single browser-based viewer. The ICIS vendor-neutral archive (VNA) allows integrated archiving of multidepartment, multifacility, and multispecialty imaging data.
The Impax BI is an advanced business intelligence (BI) platform that facilitates healthcare managers and care providers to compile, organize and manage clinical, quality, financial and administrative data. The hospital will continue to use the existing Agfa HealthCare web portal to exchange information with external referring physicians.
Agfa HealthCare will manage both software and hardware under the agreement. This will include monitoring the availability and performance of the local network, server hardware, local network, and operating systems; database management; and backup management. “We were convinced to extend our relationship with Agfa HealthCare not only due to the quality of its solutions, but especially to the strength and availability of its service and support,” comments Dr. Olivier Vanovermeire, head of medical imaging, Az Groeninge. “Agfa HealthCare is a company with a solid structure and proven expertise in medical imaging. And it is a reliable partner in our market, which is important for the future.”
“We are very pleased to have this opportunity to further strengthen our relationship with Az Groeninge, supporting its evolution with our enterprise-wide solutions, as well as our services and support organization,” stated Hans Vandewyngaerde, president, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at Agfa HealthCare.
Related Links:
Az Groeninge Hospital
Agfa HealthCare
Az Groeninge Hospital (Kortrijk, Belgium) has chosen to replace its existing third-party picture archiving and communication system (PACS) with a comprehensive Impax radiology information system (RIS)/PACS/reporting solution. Agfa HealthCare (Mortsel, Belgium) will provide all hardware (excluding the storage) and will manage both hardware and software, under an Agfa HealthCare system management agreement.
Az Groeninge is a large regional hospital and is affiliated with the KU Leuven Hospital network. It is the result of a merger of four hospitals in Kortrijk. With over 1,000 beds, it is one of the largest hospitals in Belgium. Annually, it admits some 35,000 inpatients and some 47,500 outpatients. Az Groeninge is the first nonuniversity hospital in the Benelux to obtain the high level international Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation for patient safety and quality of healthcare (2013). It is also focused on always maintaining the latest and most innovative technology.
The hospital chose to implement the Impax RIS/PACS/reporting solution. The Az Groeninge/Agfa HealthCare agreement includes: Impax RIS/PACS workflow system for data management and reporting. It will be implemented for all imaging departments, in a hospital-wide solution. The existing Impax RIS will also be upgraded to the latest version. Clinical applications include: tight integration with Impax provides point-of-care access to clinical applications such as Fusion and 3D (three-dimensions), supporting, e.g., the positron emission tomography (PET) imaging department with the most advanced technology.
The ICIS (imaging clinical information system) View enables enhanced viewing, sharing, and integration across platforms, with all images from all sources accessible on a single browser-based viewer. The ICIS vendor-neutral archive (VNA) allows integrated archiving of multidepartment, multifacility, and multispecialty imaging data.
The Impax BI is an advanced business intelligence (BI) platform that facilitates healthcare managers and care providers to compile, organize and manage clinical, quality, financial and administrative data. The hospital will continue to use the existing Agfa HealthCare web portal to exchange information with external referring physicians.
Agfa HealthCare will manage both software and hardware under the agreement. This will include monitoring the availability and performance of the local network, server hardware, local network, and operating systems; database management; and backup management. “We were convinced to extend our relationship with Agfa HealthCare not only due to the quality of its solutions, but especially to the strength and availability of its service and support,” comments Dr. Olivier Vanovermeire, head of medical imaging, Az Groeninge. “Agfa HealthCare is a company with a solid structure and proven expertise in medical imaging. And it is a reliable partner in our market, which is important for the future.”
“We are very pleased to have this opportunity to further strengthen our relationship with Az Groeninge, supporting its evolution with our enterprise-wide solutions, as well as our services and support organization,” stated Hans Vandewyngaerde, president, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at Agfa HealthCare.
Related Links:
Az Groeninge Hospital
Agfa HealthCare
Latest Health IT News
- Adaptive Radiation QA Software Gains Validation for NeoArc Treatments
- Healthcare Database Helps Close Long COVID Surveillance Gap
- Smartphone App Improves Blood Pressure Control in Hypertension
- New Tablet Platform Extends Stroke Neurorehabilitation Beyond the Clinic
- Registry-Driven Digital Outreach Boosts Use of Heart Failure Medicines
- Nurse-Coordinated Care Model Improves Heart Failure Outcomes
- Imaging Tool Quantifies Calcinosis Cutis Volume to Monitor Treatment
- Digital Symptom Monitoring Supports More Personalized Breast Cancer Care
- Short Digital Training Program Improves Motor Function in Parkinson’s Disease
- New Cloud Platform Streamlines Capsule Endoscopy Workflow and Reporting
- Smartwatch Monitoring Identifies Abnormal Vital Signs Before Routine Checks
- Weekly Remote Symptom Monitoring Improves Symptom Control in Advanced Cancer
- Digital Heart Model Supports Targeted Ablation in Atrial Fibrillation
- AI Framework Helps Clinicians Create Trustworthy Risk Prediction Tools
- AI Tool Screens for Primary Aldosteronism Using Routine EHR Data
- AI-Enabled ECG Software Predicts One-Year Atrial Fibrillation Risk
Channels
Artificial Intelligence
view channel
New Benchmark Highlights Evidence Gaps in AI Responses to Clinical Questions
Many clinical decisions still rely on limited evidence, while most artificial intelligence benchmarks overlook the patient context that shapes real-world care. General large language models can also struggle... Read more
Explainable AI Tool Improves Brain Disorder Screening from 4D fMRI
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) captures changes in brain activity over time, but the resulting image sequences can be difficult to analyze. Screening for brain disorders requires assessing... Read moreCritical Care
view channel
AI Platform Screens for Amyloid Cardiomyopathy Using ECG Images
Amyloid cardiomyopathy is a heart disease caused by deposits of misfolded proteins in the cardiac muscle. It is often missed until patients develop serious complications such as heart failure.... Read more
Noninvasive Contact Lens Sensor Detects Tear Serotonin for Stress Assessment
Stress-related physiological changes can be difficult to monitor objectively over time. Serotonin plays a role in mood regulation and stress physiology and is also present in tears, providing a minimally... Read more
Virtual Reality and Music Aid Early Blood Pressure Control in Hypertensive Urgency
Hypertensive urgency is a common emergency department presentation involving markedly elevated blood pressure without acute organ damage. Patients may also be anxious or frightened, and stress responses... Read more
Early Stem Cell Transplantation May Improve Survival in Rare Inherited Bone Marrow Disorder
Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) is a rare inherited bone marrow disorder that can progress to severe hematologic disease. More than 90% of affected children survive beyond age 20, but fewer than 30% live... Read moreSurgical Techniques
view channel
Labor Induction Guide Improves Patient Satisfaction in Randomized Trial
Labor induction uses medications or other methods to start labor, but patients may encounter information that conflicts with clinical guidance. This misinformation can create confusion and mistrust when... Read more
First Human Implant Performed With New Open Mitral Annuloplasty Ring
In mitral valve repair, clinicians aim to preserve the mitral annulus’s three-dimensional motion while providing enough support for effective remodeling. Ring preferences vary between open and closed ... Read more
Handheld Device Improves Targeted Cell Collection for Early Ovarian Cancer Assessment
High-grade serous ovarian cancer is the most common form of ovarian cancer, and many cases are thought to originate in the fallopian tubes. Because precursor lesions can be microscopic, they are difficult... Read morePatient Care
view channel
EHR Model Flags High-Risk Periods in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer
Determining when patients with metastatic breast cancer are nearing the end of life remains difficult, often leading to intensive interventions with limited benefit. Prognostic uncertainty can delay goals-of-care... Read more
Virtual Reality Helps Claustrophobic Patients Complete Cardiac PET/CT Scans
Anxiety and claustrophobia—intense fear of confined spaces—often prevent patients from completing cardiac positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). Aborted scans delay diagnosis, consume... Read moreHealth IT
view channel
Adaptive Radiation QA Software Gains Validation for NeoArc Treatments
Adaptive radiation therapy allows clinicians to adjust treatment plans to daily anatomical changes such as tumor shrinkage, weight loss, or organ movement, improving precision while limiting exposure to... Read more
Healthcare Database Helps Close Long COVID Surveillance Gap
Long COVID is a chronic condition that occurs after SARS-CoV-2 infection and lasts at least three months. It can follow severe illness, but it can also affect anyone who has been infected.... Read morePoint of Care
view channel
Continuous Glucose Monitoring Identifies Cardiometabolic Risk in Adults Without Diabetes
Dysglycemia—abnormal blood glucose regulation—can fluctuate throughout the day and often escape conventional screening. Clinicians typically rely on fasting plasma glucose and hemoglobin A1c, which offer... Read more
Microneedle Patch Enables At-Home Monitoring of Acute Kidney Injury
Kidney disease is often silent in its early stages, making timely detection difficult outside clinical settings. Early biomarkers such as neutrophil gelatinase–associated lipocalin can require blood draws... Read moreBusiness
view channel
Medtronic Receives FDA Clearance for Vessel-Sealing Instrument for Robotic Surgery
As robotic-assisted surgery expands across U.S. hospitals, teams increasingly seek energy instruments with the familiarity and performance of tools used in open and laparoscopic procedures.... Read more
Robotic Single-Port System Gains CE Mark for Transvaginal Gynecologic Procedures
Intuitive (Sunnyvale, CA, USA) announced that it has received CE mark approval for use of the da Vinci SP Single Port surgical system in transvaginal gynecologic procedures, marking the first such indication... Read more







